Border Patrol Council endorses Tester

As the president of the National Border Patrol Council, I have the privilege of representing 15,000 of the best men and women you’ll ever meet — the Border Patrol agents who work 24 hours a day to secure our borders. But I know that when it comes to border security, having dedicated men and women is only half the battle. We cannot do our job unless we have the tools we need to keep this great country of ours safe.

That is why the National Border Patrol Council is proud to endorse Sen. Jon Tester. We are endorsing Sen. Tester because he goes to bat in Washington for the resources we need to keep our border secure.

In 2016, we proudly endorsed Donald J. Trump for president. This was the first time we had endorsed a presidential candidate and we took this step because we saw that then candidate Trump was willing to take on the special interests. We saw that Donald Trump was the kind of person who would listen to the agents in the field rather than the bureaucrats at headquarters. We are endorsing Sen. Jon Tester for the exact same reason we endorsed President Trump — Jon Tester is not afraid to fight for border security.

I live in Malta, and I’m proud to bring a Montana work ethic with me every day and in all that I do. I believe Montanans are probably the hardest-working and honest folks in this country. I see those qualities in Jon Tester. Over the past several years I’ve seen Jon fight in Washington as the ranking member of the powerful Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee for the resources Border Patrol Agents need to be successful in securing this nation from those that would do us harm.

He has been a leader in getting us additional manpower, border fencing, air support, sensors, and vehicles. This is real for the agents in the field. For example, for the first time in my career Border Patrol agents will soon have a radio communications system that actually works in rural areas. We are getting new radios, which will dramatically increase agent effectiveness and safety, because Jon Tester fought for them. It is that simple.

In addition, Jon has relentlessly advocated for local law enforcement in Montana. This includes his recent fight to secure an increase in Operation Stonegarden grants, which strengthen Montana’s law enforcement and make sure they’re equipped with the right tools to keep Montana communities safe. Thanks to Sen. Tester’s work there is a dramatic increase in the amount of funding Montana received in these grants.

In short, Sen. Tester delivered on his promise to give our law enforcement the tools they need to help secure our border and combat drug trafficking.

Jon Tester has a proven record of getting results and keeping our country safe.

For these reasons and many more, and on behalf of the Border Patrol agents whom I represent, I am proud to endorse Sen. Jon Tester.

Judd, of Malta, Montana, is president of the National Border Patrol Council.